Seven Days
by TheGladElf
Summary: Seven days in Mako and Korra's life. Written for Makorra week 2014. All stories also fit with my A Hundred Ways to Live and Love timeline. Makorra AU
1. Bodyguard

"Spirits," Korra said around a mouthful of pork bun as she sat down. "This must be what heaven tastes like."

Mako grinned at her, setting his own lunch down across the table from her. It was already the middle of the afternoon and this was the first time they'd gotten a chance to sit down and eat since they met at Air Temple Island this morning.

The park was loud and bright, but it was a welcome contrast from the cooped, colorless council rooms she'd spent all day in. She'd spent all day running from one meeting to another, Mako tracking doggedly along beside her.

When he'd first accepted her offer to join the White Lotus, Korra wondered if they were going to be able to make this work. Their relationship, already complicated by all the baggage of the past, was delicate. They both agreed that him joining the White Lotus was a good move, at least their jobs didn't clash now. Not often anyways. Still, she knew that he considered part of his job protecting her—she wished she could say she'd always return the favor—and Korra had expected him to try to step in in situations that might jeopardize her safety.

They'd clashed a couple of times, but so far they were making it work. He had her back, just like he'd promised. Getting to know this older, more mature Mako was strange and a little exciting.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, but as Korra's stomach filled with food, the need to shove that food in her face lessened.

"Sorry you have to wear the uniform today," she said.

Mako shrugged. "It's not that bad. I'd rather wear the uniform than be you today."

"Don't remind me," Korra said, leaning her head against her hand. "It's times like these that I really miss Aang." She sighed. "He must have sat through countless council meetings. I don't feel like I'm making any real contribution."

Mako put down his chopsticks. "That's not true and you know it."

"Yeah," Korra said. "They certainly listen when I yell for them stop arguing."

"If the Avatar yelled for me to shut up, I'd do it in a hurry."

Korra gave him a look.

"Hey, you don't yell, you say it very nicely when we argue." Mako took a sip of his drink. "You're watching and listening, that's good, Korra. Just because you don't have something to say on every single topic doesn't mean you're doing a bad job."

"Yeah, I know," Korra said. She shoved her hair back from her face. "I just wish I had answers."

"You're the Avatar, Korra, not a prophet. I know you're frustrated," he said, "but—"

"I know, I know. People shouldn't expect me to be the answer to their every problem." She reached out, ruffling his hair, laughing as he jerked away and glared at her.

"Korra!"

"Have I ever told you how much I appreciate you?" she asked.

Still glaring, he tried to fix the mess she'd made of his hair. "Yes, many times." Finally, he gave up, shooting her one last death look before smiling at her. "Doesn't mean I don't love hearing it again."

"Here," she said, leaning forward again. "Let me help you." Gently she brushed the hair back, out of his eyes. He'd always had gorgeous eyes. She returned his hair to a slightly more civilized state, not quite as polished as it had been, but still decent enough that people wouldn't talk too much. Probably. "There," she said, but she didn't sit back down. "That's better."

"Thanks," he said, staring up at her. Then he stiffened his eyes focusing on something over her shoulder. His mouth hardened.

"What?"

"Raiko's coming," he said.

"Ugh," she said. "Can't he leave me alone for ten minutes?"

"Sit and eat your lunch," Mako said. "I've got this."

"No, I'll—"

"If that's what you want," Mako said. "But as the Avatar's bodyguard, I could probably dissuade him."

"Nicely?"

"I'm always nice, Korra," he said. "You're the one who puts people in body casts."

"That was one time! And it was my first day in the city." She huffed. "Fine, bodyguard, see if you can _dissuade_ him."

Mako stood. As he crossed behind her to meet Raiko, she hurriedly started stuffing the rest of her food in her mouth. If he was going to pull them back into meetings early, she wanted to at least have eaten most of her lunch.

"I need to talk to Korra," Raiko said.

"I'm sorry, Mr. President," Mako replied. "But _Avatar_ Korra is busy right now."

Korra couldn't help herself, she glanced over her shoulder. Mako was so tall that all she could see was Raiko's right arm peeking out on the other side of Mako's broad back.

"She's right there, Mako," Raiko said. "I can see her with my own eyes. I just need a minute."

"Sorry, the Avatar is busy at the moment. You'll have wait until she's done."

Mako shifted, giving Korra just a glimpse of Raiko's frustrated face.

"Listen, Mako, I don't care if you are Ko—" He stopped, clearing his throat and straightening his tie. "I don't care if you are dating the Avatar, you have no right to keep me from conducting official business with her."

"I apologize for the inconvenience, sir," Mako said, his voice dead calm.

Korra ducked back around, wondering if Raiko knew enough to be worried by that voice.

"But as the Avatar's bodyguard," he drew out the word—Korra bit the inside of her cheek. Spirits, they abused that word. They both knew he was so much more than that, but it did get him into places that he couldn't go as just Mako the boyfriend. "It is my job to make sure that she isn't bothered while she is busy. You are free to wait here, but you'll have to wait until she's done."

There was a strangled noise from the president.

"I wouldn't do that, sir," Mako said. "I'd hate to have to remove you from the premises."

Korra choked on her noodles, resisting the urge to turn around. He was having too much fun with this. Really, she knew she should just get up and see what Raiko wanted.

"I should have you fired," Raiko said.

"I don't work for you, sir."

Korra sighed, but before she could say anything, Raiko harrumphed.

"Fine. If you would ask Avatar Korra to come speak with me before the next meeting, I would appreciate it."

"I can do that."

Several minutes passed before Mako finally returned to his seat.

Korra burst out in quiet giggles. "You really shouldn't have done that."

"I didn't see you stepping in," he retorted, picking his chopsticks back up.

"Well, maybe now he'll respect the fact that even the Avatar deserves to eat in peace."

"Probably not," he said. "If his past behavior is any indication, I doubt me crossing my arms and looking grim will make him think twice next time. But it was really fun standing in his way."

"We probably shouldn't pull that again," she said.

Mako pouted. "What's the point of being your bodyguard if I don't get to thwart insufferable politicians?"

"I don't think bodyguard is quite the right word," Korra said, reaching out to take his hand. The skin was still red and glassy in places, but not nearly as angry as it had been a few months ago. "Thank you." And she could see in his eyes that he knew she wasn't just thanking him for driving off Raiko.

* * *

><p><strong>My first contribution to Makorra week. I almost didn't so I could completely focus on my book and A Hundred Ways, but I realized that I don't know if we'll ever have another Makorra week again, so what the heck. I'll do it. Time to go write some more for A Hundred Ways (my 100 Makorra Themes project), I hope y'all enjoy.<strong>

**P.S. Everything you'll find her is going to fit in with the canon that I've developed for A Hundred Ways (minus the AU and spec fic), so if you want more, head to my page and check that out.**


	2. Ice Queen

Mako still found it strange sometimes how Korra was not the Avatar that he remembered.

The brash, loud, quick-to-act, heart-on-her-sleeve girl who hated being patient

Oh, she could still be loud and brash and quick-to-act, but she'd also gotten very good at hiding that side of herself. Maybe it was maturity, maybe it was practice, but she didn't let her impatience or her feelings show like she used to.

She barely glanced at Mako in the aftermath of the day's attack.

A quick once over to make sure he was still standing. A few minutes to fix his shoulder—he'd dislocated it in one of his earliest probending matches and now, if you hit it just right, it popped out of place all over again. Face impassive, she manipulated the joint back into place quickly and efficiently and then she left him to deal with the pain while she tended to the other's who'd been injured.

Transforming the Earth Empire into the Earth Nation was not going as well as everyone would have wanted, but then, things rarely did.

Even with the majority of Kuvira's army surrendering in Republic City, here they were, six months out and having to quell the occasional scuffle when they discovered small bands of troops that had been left behind. Or villages that still hailed the Great Uniter and insisted on causing trouble for the new Earth Nation.

Today was supposed to be a peaceful mission. Instead they'd been ambushed. They're small group nearly overtaken, but they'd managed to regain the advantage.

When the spots stopped dancing across his vision, he got up and joined Korra to help settle everyone.

"We'll have to camp here for the night," Korra told one of the diplomats that had been traveling with them to help work the treaties between the different cities in the Earth Nation.

"But those men, they just came out of nowhere." The older man looked frazzled, his eyes darting wildly around. His hands clasped and unclasped. "What if they come back?

"I understand you're frightened," Korra said, "but it's getting dark and it's better to stay here than to risk another ambush on the move in the dark. And we have wounded, we have to make sure it's safe to move them."

"But Avatar Korra…"

"I'm sorry," Korra said, not ungently, "but the decision is made."

The ice queen they called her. Nothing phased Avatar Korra, people were saying. She could take any hit and keep on going. She was unstoppable. Unshakeable. You couldn't knock her down. They all respected and revered her. Mako supposed that when you single-handedly turned a death ray into spiritual portal that was bound to happen.

They worked their way through the camp, both of them stopping to speak with certain people. He was getting used to this, being the Avatar's right hand man. Which was ironic, since that was his better hand. They'd managed to get him almost full use of his left hand, but sometimes when he was tired or overworked, it still tingled and went a little numb. Korra wasn't sure if that would ever heal completely. Didn't stop her from trying though.

At last, they talked to everyone. Shelters were raised. People were fed.

Mako crouched with Korra in a quiet corner, reaching out to lace his fingers through hers. She sighed.

"Are you okay?" she asked. The Avatar melted away and there, before him was the amazing, crazy, strong, selfless woman he was learning to love all over again. Different from the girl he'd known and yet still the same. Her eyes clouded over with concern. "How's the shoulder?"

"Alright," Mako said.

Gently, she put her water-coated hand on his right shoulder. His skin tingled in the way it always did when a water bending healer did an examination. Gradually, the sensation worked deep, into his tissue and bone. Relief spread through the injury. Mako sighed.

"Well, what's the diagnosis, will I make it?"

"It looks optimistic," she said, smiling.

The rest of the world got the Avatar. But Mako? He got moments like this. Moments where she worried or raged or cried or laughed. Mako got Korra. And he was starting to think, that maybe, just maybe he'd get Korra for the rest of his life.

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><p><strong>I have to admit that it's so strange writing post-finale Mako. Before the finale, I would have said that Korra was the one that would need the most convincing when it came to restarting their relationship, but over the last two days, Mako has become the hesitant one. Not because he's afraid (or not solely because he's afraid) of what might happen if they try again, but because he's happy and comfortable with where they are now and he's not sure that that should change. <strong>

**Of course, you don't see that in this fic, but I'm devoting three whole chapters of my A Hundred Ways fic to this little evolution of Mako's character. **

**Got one more coming for you tonight. It's short, but I like it.**

**Reviews are lovely!**


	3. Kiss

There was something about this time that just felt different.

Maybe because they weren't hot-headed teenagers anymore. Maybe because this time they weren't just thinking about to today, they were thinking about the future.

Or maybe it was because this time they run from the knowledge that each kiss might be their last.

There were far too many reminders.

Being the White Lotus had definitely given Mako more mobility. Korra was glad she didn't have to pester Beifong anymore. That she could take Mako with her any time she felt that things might get dicey (which, since she was the Avatar was most of the time). It dragged him into more dangerous situations than she felt comfortable with, but she couldn't complain when she knew that he had the same feelings regarding her. Besides, there had always been something about fighting with him at her side that made her hopeful.

It was when they had to separate that she got nervous.

Korra was only one person. She couldn't be in two places at once. People complained at first, about getting the Avatar's boyfriend instead of the Avatar herself. They griped about being lower on her priority list. That she wasn't taking their problems seriously.

If only they knew the gut-wrenching feeling that she experienced every time they had to say good-bye, then they would know sending Mako was a sure sign that she was taking them seriously.

Every time they said good-bye, the thought always crossed her mind that this could be their last kiss. It could be the last time she said, I love you. The last time she saw him. For all she knew, he could be dead tomorrow. Or she could be.

She wished she could promise him forever, but she knew better.

Forever was for people with ordinary lives. People who weren't targeted by military leaders and revolutionaries. People who weren't constantly being thrown into harm's way.

So she didn't tell him she wanted forever when they said good-bye.

Instead, she always asked him to come back for one more kiss.


	4. Losing

It was raining.

Dark clouds had threatened Mako the entire ferry ride to Air Temple Island. Dark, pelting rain obscured the sky as soon as his boots hit the dock. The kind of rain that Republic City gets only a few times a year.

As he trudged up the path, he couldn't help thinking that this was exactly the kind of day you'd expect when your girlfriend was about to break up with you for the third time.

He paused at the Air Temple Gate, eyes travelling over the way the glow of the Spirit Portal reflected off of all those little drops of rain. They glimmered golden as they fell in front of him. He didn't want to go any further. He should. The rain had soaked through his clothes and he was shivering.

They hadn't even made it a few weeks this time.

And just like last time, it would be a because of a fight. The worst fight they'd ever had, even if Korra hadn't flipped any furniture.

Six weeks. Six weeks without any contact. Three days since she'd gotten back from the new Earth Nation and she hadn't come to talk about it. Mako tried to stay away, tried to give her space, but he needed to know: Was this it this time? Or did she still think it was worth working through the hard parts?

The lack of contact made him think this was it. Today he was losing her again.

It was his fault.

Maybe if he hadn't embarrassed her in front of the entire council, she wouldn't still be angry with him. Or maybe if he'd been less of an idiot. Because he had been such an idiot.

His words echoed in his head, just like they'd echoed in the council chamber that day. "I'm not letting you go without me."

Korra had turned to him with eyes like ice. "Letting me?" she'd repeated, her voice dead quiet. "Letting me?" she'd said again, her voice rising harshly. "I am the Avatar. You do not let me do anything! You are not going and that is final."

She'd been right. Even with all the progress he'd made, he still wasn't up to fighting form six weeks ago. He could barely summon a decent flame with his left hand. Leaving him behind was the right decision. She, at least, had been thinking clearly. He was the one who argued the point. He was the one who let his ego get in the way.

Korra could handle dangerous situations. She didn't need him. She wanted him.

Except, she'd left without even a good-bye. So that last bit was up for consideration.

He felt her presence before he heard her soft, "Hey," from behind him.

He turned, his eyes taking in every inch of her, making sure she was alright. Bolin had told him as much (though not much more). His brother and Asami had been included in the group Korra took to the Earth Nation this time, but if either of them had any insight on Korra's mindset, they weren't talking.

"Hey," he said, finally meeting her eyes.

They looked sad and scared and that was when he knew. He was losing her today.

Korra shook her head. "You insane man," she said. "Why are you standing out here shaking?" She walked past him, taking his arm as she did so and leading him towards the women's dormitory. They walked in silence. They didn't speak as they crossed the threshold and she paused to bend the water out of his clothes.

They didn't speak as they stood looking at each other.

"Mako…"

"Korra, I—" He stopped, waiting for her to say more, but she only looked away. He sighed. "You were right. And I'm sorry."

"What?" She turned back to him, her eyes wide, blue, and brimming with tears.

"Um, I was wrong and I'm sorry? I shouldn't have yelled like that and I won't do it again."

Korra sighed and stepped towards Mako, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Good."

"Wait," Mako said. "You're not still mad?"

"Are you?"

Mako shook his head, but he was wrong. He was the one at fault in this whole thing. He had no right to still be angry.

Her hands traveled from his waist to his chest to the back of his neck before she pulled him down for a kiss.

"I am sorry," he said, his forehead pressed to hers.

"Shh," she said. "I know, but I need us to be a team Mako. I need to know you have my back."

"Always."

The corner of her mouth quirked up at that. "I mean, even when you disagree with me, I don't want people to question that we're a team."

Mako sighed. "I'll do better next time. I knew you were right, I just…"

"You didn't like feeling useless," Korra finished for him. She reached for his hand, cradling it in both of hers fingers tracing over the puckered skin. "Is it any better?"

"Much," Mako said, flexing the fingers for her before calling up a healthy flame. "I haven't been able to bend lightning yet, but I could hold my own in a pro-bending game."

Korra's eyebrows scrunched together as she examined his hand. "Maybe…I'm sure we could find a pool of spirit water inside the Spirit Portal. It's so green, there has to be one nearby. That might help." Her hand slid over his, extinguishing the flame and then tracing up his arm, her fingers brushing gently over the burn scar. It had faded considerable in the last six weeks. The arm was nearly back to its normal color, thanks to the efforts of Korra and various healers. The most severely burnt areas were going to scar permanently, but the rest would fade completely with time they told him.

"I can still keep up with you, whether I can bend lightning or not."

Korra smirked. "You can try."

"Korra, why did you wait three days?"

She shifted from foot to foot. "I was afraid you might still be mad."

Mako raised an eyebrow. That hadn't stopped her before. He waited for her laugh and say it was silly and kiss him again.

Softly, she said, "The last time we fought this bad, we broke up."

"Oh." Mako ducked his head, breaking eye contact. He didn't like to think about that day. It was possible that that day was going to down as the day he made the stupidest decision of his life. All because he was angry. One snap decision. "Okay. New rule," he said looking back at her. "From here on out, breaking up isn't an option while we're arguing. That way, neither of us has to worry about repeating old mistakes."

A wide grin broke out over Korra's face. "I like that rule." She stood of tiptoe, brushing her lips against his teasingly before pulling back with twinkling eyes. "So does that mean we're officially together again?"

Swallowing, Mako nodded. Just a few months ago, this had seemed impossible.

Just a few hours ago, he'd thought he was losing her.

And now…now they'd just taken another step forward.

"Yeah, I guess it does."


	5. Reflection

Korra sighed, leaning her head against Mako's shoulder as they watched the reflection of the spirit portal across Yue Bay.

Was it really a year ago that she'd done all this? That they'd done all this? That she'd been contemplating this view with someone else?

Republic City now sprawls around the bay, like a lazy cat. Many of the buildings have been rebuilt, those that were still standing at least. New construction, some of it half-finished, rings the outskirts of the city. Thankfully, there are no new statues of her. One was enough.

Mako squeezed the hand cradled between both of his. All but the worst of the scar, the places where the worst burns had been, is faded now. Nothing like the feathery marks that marred the skin in the weeks after they took down Kuvira.

If you had asked her a year ago if she would be sitting here with him like this, she would have told you that they'd drifted apart. Now…well, she didn't want to imagine her life any other way. She knew exactly how much the idea of that future scared her. Nearly losing someone twice could do that to you. To her, Mako had always seemed indestructible to her. This person she'd always envisioned being there, no matter where life took her. No matter what curves life threw their way, she'd believe he'd always be there.

She knew better now. These moments were precious to her in a way they hadn't been when they were teens. Oh, she'd loved him then, but they'd never thought of more than the day to day then.

Now, they were thinking about the future. Their future.

"Want to tell me what's on your mind?" Mako asked, the hard line of his cheekbone pressing against the crown of her head.

Korra sighed. "That this is the perfect time for a wedding."

"Oh really," Mako said. He hooked a finger under her chin, tilting her face up and kissing her. "What makes you say that?"

"It's been more than a year since we took down the Colossus," she said. "I think that deserves a celebration."

"Guess it's a good thing we're getting married tomorrow then," he whispered.

Korra's eyes flicked up to the sky, where the moon was starting to descend. "Actually, I think we're getting married today."

Mako laughed. "I should probably go get some sleep then."

"Probably. It'd be a shame to have the groom fall asleep during the ceremony." She kissed him again softly. She knew it wouldn't always be this easy, but this last year had taught her to believe in them like she never had before. No matter the challenge, she believed they'd always come out stronger on the other side.

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><p><strong>So, we haven't actually gotten to the point in A Hundred Ways were I talk about how Mako and Korra decided to get back together, but it's coming, I promise. Just hang in there. The two moments that she almost lost him refers to when he nearly died in the Colossus (which, in my headcanon, he hid from and she had to find it out from...other sources-still deciding on what those sources are) and another instance in what will end up being chapter 29 in A Hundred Ways. Again, I will be getting to those soon, but I'm focusing more on my Makorra week and Mako Appreciation Weekend fics for now.<strong>


	6. Sunrise

Korra noticed the sunrise first.

"Good morning," she said. The bed dipped as she propped herself up on her elbow, nodding behind him.

"Is it?" Mako rolled onto his back, and sure enough, the curtains of their hotel room was stained with golden light.

"No. Come back here."

Korra grabbed his arm, pulling him back in for another kiss. Mako had lost count of how many that made hours ago. After all, did it really matter? He planned on kissing Korra like this many more times.

"I thought mornings were evil," he said, a little breathlessly.

Korra smiled. "Not this one," she said, fingers tracing down his arm. Locking her fingers together with his, she kissed the scarred knuckles one at a time before pressing the back of his hand against her breastbone. "This one is perfect."

"Yes it is," he sighed. "Welcome to the rest of our lives."

Korra laughed, loud and wonderful. "I highly doubt the rest of our lives will be going to be as nice as this."

"As long as we're together, I don't care."

Korra's smile softened, but the light didn't leave her eyes.

He knew what she was thinking. This last year had been crazy. If anything, life only got more hectic after Kuvira surrendered. And yet, to Mako, it seemed easier than all three of the years they spent apart.

He certainly hoped that the rest of their lives wasn't this crazy, but since she was the Avatar, he knew there was no way to predict what would happen or even how long they had. He didn't care. Right now, this moment was perfect. He would take this moment and treasure it always—like so many of the moments before—and hope that there would be many, many more sunrises like this for them.

"As long as we're together," Korra said, resting her forehead against his.

She sighed and a few minutes later, she was asleep. Mako lay there, trailing his fingers through his new wife's hair watching the light against the curtains change from amber to bright gold to white.

When the sun was finally up, he too drifted off to sleep, Korra's breathing his lullaby.


	7. Timeless

When Korra woke it could have been ten a.m. or two p.m., she only knew the sun still shone.

Beside her, Mako snored and shifted, his arm curled loosely around her waist.

Her cheek resting on his chest, she listened to the comforting beat of his heart. His warmth reassured her. This was no dream. This was real life.

This was her life now.

She hoped that this would be her life for a very long time. Despite everything, she couldn't ever see herself giving this up. That would be crazy.

"Is this a habit I'm going to have to get used to?"

His voice startled Korra. She'd been staring at him, she realized. Well, why shouldn't she stare? They'd gotten up in front of (what seemed like) the entire city and declared that they belonged to each other. He was hers. She was his.

"Am I not allowed to look at you?" she asked. "I thought the whole point of marrying you was so I could look at you whenever I wanted."

Mako smirked, the tips of his fingers tracing lazy lines up and down her spine. "You'd look at me whenever you wanted anyways."

Korra stretched and moved closer, her fingers sliding over old scars and new as she wrapped her arms around him. She painfully intimate with many of those scars, just as he was with so many of hers.

Year ago, when Korra had started to comprehend just what being the Avatar meant—that for her to be the Avatar someone else had had to die—Korra had asked Katara if her teacher was sad that she was the Avatar. Katara had smiled and said that love was timeless. It defied space and circumstance, the old woman said, and never truly died. It always came back around in the form of new love.

Lying there, with Mako staring at her, she felt like she'd known him for so much longer than just the few short years they'd had together. To her, it seemed like she was connected to Mako as surely as she was connected to Raava. And she wondered, if love never truly died, were there certain souls that came back around too? Were there certain souls that sought each other out time and time again?

She liked the idea of that.

"Hey Mako?"

"Yes?"

"I really like you and I think we were meant for each other."

Mako chuckled. "Yeah, me too."

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><p><strong>And that's it. That concludes my contribution to Makorra Week 2014.<strong>

**As I mentioned before, all of this is linked heavily to my AU headcanon story A Hundred Ways to Live and Love. If you want more, I suggest starting there. Those get a little bit longer and are more involved. I hope you enjoyed this.**

**And as always, reviews are appreciated. Thanks!**


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